Best freeze-dried treats for Cornish Rex cats

Switching from soft pouches to freeze-dried single-ingredient treats is genuinely one of the better moves you can make for a cat's diet — less filler, no mystery sauces, and the intense smell of freeze-dried meat tends to go down really well with cats. Cats are notoriously fussy, but they typically respond strongly to high-protein, strongly-scented options, and freeze-dried treats tick both boxes. The best ones are as close to one ingredient as possible with no added salt, sugar, or preservatives. Before I point you in a direction — is this mainly for training, enrichment, or just the occasional reward? And does your Cornish Rex have any known dietary sensitivities or health things I should factor in?

Good to know — a healthy, active 4-year-old with no restrictions makes this straightforward. With Cornish Rex cats specifically, it's worth keeping in mind they have a fast metabolism and very little body fat, so calorie-dense treats are fine in small amounts but you don't want to overdo it. What protein was she getting in the soft pouches — chicken, fish, something else? And when you say she's been on pouches, did she eat them eagerly or was she lukewarm about them?

That makes complete sense, and freeze-dried is a solid upgrade for exactly that reason. For a chicken-familiar cat who's not wildly treat-motivated yet, I'd go with Natures Menu Freeze-Dried Chicken Cat Treats — it's literally one ingredient, 100% chicken breast, freeze-dried so the smell is strong and natural, and the texture is light enough that cats tend to accept it quickly even if they're not used to it. The pieces are small, which is ideal for a slim cat getting treats several times a day — you're not accidentally overfeeding. It's widely available on Amazon UK and consistently well-reviewed by owners making exactly this kind of switch. Start by crumbling a small piece so she gets the smell and flavour without being put off by the new texture — most cats come around fast.

Not much to worry about with treats specifically — unlike switching main food, there's no digestive adjustment needed. The main thing is just texture novelty. Some cats are suspicious of the crunchier, drier feel of freeze-dried at first, especially if they've only had soft treats. Crumbling or slightly rehydrating a piece with a tiny drop of water for the first few goes can help bridge the gap. Once she's accepted the texture, she'll almost certainly prefer the real smell of single-ingredient chicken over the processed version. Given she's already chicken-familiar, I'd expect the transition to take a few days at most.

You're very welcome — it's a good switch and she'll probably thank you for it. Enjoy the fuss sessions.